CARS Update Flash #25

Memo to local educational agency (LEA) representatives to provide information about how the Free and Reduced Price Meal (FRPM) Period 2 data was calculated.

To: LEA Staff

From: Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS) Project Team

Date: October 11, 2012

2011-12 FRPM Report Period 2

Last Friday, we released the 2011-12 FRPM Report Period 2 data collection. Since then, 44 LEAs have certified their FRPM Report Period 2 data bringing the total LEAs with certified CARS FRPM Period 2 data to 855. If you have not already certified your 2011-12 FRPM Period 2 data, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible and not wait until the last minute.

Please Note: CARS includes the total enrollment and FRPM counts of students ages 5-17 certified in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) as of September 24, 2012. There is no longer an opportunity to change CALPADS data, and therefore no opportunity to change the CALPADS total enrollment or CALPADS total FRPM counts in CARS. LEAs that did not certify in CARS during Period 1, must now go into CARS and break out a total free count and a total reduced price count. For Non-Provision 2 and 3 schools, these two counts cannot exceed the total FRPM count. For Provision 2 and 3 counts, these two counts cannot exceed the total enrollment count.

Though the CALPADS data cannot be changed, some LEAs are attempting to validate the counts they see in CARS by looking at CALPADS report 1.1 Enrollment – Primary Status by Subgroup. This report will not reflect what is in CARS because it includes students who are younger than 5, older than 17, or who are determined to be socioeconomically disadvantaged based on the education level of their parents. Therefore, LEAs should not reference this report. Report 8.2 Socio-Economically Disadvantaged – Student List does provide a list of students who are socio-economically disadvantaged, but LEAs must subtract out the students who are younger than 5, older than 17, or who are determined to be socioeconomically disadvantaged based on the education level of their parents. Records that were added after an LEA certified their Fall 1 2011-2012 submission will not be reflected in the CARS report.